The Three Types of Magic
There are three types of magic in Savinaru: creation, destruction and arcane.
Creative magic is the magic of the elementals. This is the magic they used to forge the world, and they continue to be its masters. They are not the only ones who use it however, as their creations the Gods are also highly skilled with creation magic. Mortals can gain access to this type of magic through becoming a Vessel of the elementals or the gods. It is also the most common type of magic to be used for healing, though it does have its limits. Being magic of creation, it cannot destroy. This means that while it is great at healing wounds and repairing broken bones, it cannot fight parasites, disease or other things not meant to be there. Using creative magic against a parasite will heal both the host and the parasite, though some powerful casters have learned to be more selective and avoid the parasite and only empower the body to fight back. In battle, this inability to destroy means that Vessels must either rely on Arcane magic to fight or use their magic creatively to create things that will hurt their foes. Summoning a great fire then letting it loose, conjuring a rock above their enemy then dropping it, animating things to fight for them, and so on.
Destruction magic is the magic of demons. Many assume it is evil magic, but while it is extremely dangerous, destruction is not inherently evil. Its powerset makes it extremely easy to abuse to evil means however, and too much destructive magic leads to the demons, who seek to destroy everything. As can be expected, Destructive magic is mostly used to destroy things, corroding and consuming matter.
When creation and destruction mix, they nullify each other, and arcane magic is left behind. Arcane magic has suffused the world of Savinaru, creating an omnipresent “field” of ambient mana everywhere. Mages and Vessels can tap into this latent mana to cast their spells. Despite its universality, arcane magic is not the same strength everywhere. There are some points where the mana gathers, creating what scholars call a Manawarp Nexus, but what everyone else calls zones of wild magic. The magic in these zones is extremely potent, but also highly unstable. Many powerful mages try to create a tiny, stable nexus in their place of work to empower themselves, being careful not to let it get too big. The more mana is in a nexus, the more likely it is to go wild. There are also zones of low magic, which casters avoid like the plague if they can. While there is still enough mana to cast minor spells, all magic is dampened by the lack of mana. A roaring fireball in normal conditions would be a warm ember in a low magic zone.
Arcane magic is also the only one without a personality. Creation and Destruction magic each have a will of their own, which can be best seen in the elementals and demons: creatures who are this magic manifest. Demons are concentrated destructive magic, and their only instinct is to destroy. Elementals are born of creative magic, and their instincts are to create and preserve. Arcane magic has none of that. Arcane magic has no more personality than a boulder or a fallen log. This makes it appealing to those who just want magic without being beholden to some higher power. It also means you don’t have any guiding force, it’s just you and the raw, chaotic arcane. Most mages try to learn from more experienced mages in an attempt to give themselves a guide, but
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